Improvement in harness



E.-R. GAQHOONE.

Harness.

Patented May 28, 1878.

PETERS, PHDTU-LITHOGRAPNER, WISHINGTON, 04 C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF IcE.

EDWIN n. OAHOONE, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

' IMPROVEMENT IN HARNESS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,195, dated May 28,1878; application filed April 25, 1678;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. OAHooNE, of

Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have inventednew .and useful Improvements in Harness, of which the following is afull and clear description, havingreference to theaccompanyingdrawings,which,

a highly-finished appearance is secured with cheapness of manufacture,and various advantages not attained either so well or so cheaply whenleather is employed.

A is my saddle, cast in one piece and finished in imitation of leather.B is a metallic backhand, also finished in imitation of leather. Itsupper end is provided with a slot, 7), through which the terret-screwpasses, and enables the back-band to vproject more or less below theskirt of the saddle, as may be desired. When put in place, the upper endof the back-band is placed underneath the skirt of the saddle, as shownin Fig. 1, and at its lower endit is attached to the flap O, which ismade of leather in the-usual way.

At the lower end of the back-strap. B there is a removable loop, D, forthe attachment of the strap a. This loop is made detachable for thisreason, and it forms an important improvement in the art. In making upharness, v

as is now done, in large quantities, for the trade, it is important thatfinished metallic portions should not be subjected to handling to agreater extent than is necessary. If the loop D was formed integral withthe strap B, as it might easily be made, it would benec essary to handleeach strap B in sewing in the strap a, and'an important percentage wouldbecome defaced, thereby entailing serious loss upon the manufacturer.

By my plan no part is handled excepting therefore, to provide and keepon hand so large a number of straps a as would otherwise be the case.

The lower end of the strap B is finished in imitation of a leather loop,as shown at c, and

the said strap and loop D may be secured together by an ordinarypad-screw, d, or in other ways, to be hereinafter described, as may bepreferred. To make this attachment secure without causing a strain uponthe pad-screw d, which would partly displace it and cause the head topresent an unsightly appearance, I cast a pin, 6, on the under side ofthe strap B, to project through a proper hole in the tang of the loop D,and receive all the strain of the connection.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 another method of attachment is shown. The tang ofthe loop D is formed with a hole or orifice, f, and a projecting fingeror pin, 9, is cast upon the end of the back-band, to enter and engagewith said hole, extending below the loop-plate and out of view. Whenthus locked at the point or end of the strap B, and also secured by there enforce pin 0, the fastening to hold the parts to the flap-leathermay be applied below and to the loo'p-plate alone, and such fastening isshown in Figs. 4 and '5, wherein is introduced as an auxiliary the underplate E, which is fastened to the flapleather, and has a seat for theterret-nut. At the lower end of said plate there is a button-hole, h,and on its upper side, just below the terret-hole, a pin, i. Theback-strap B has a hole in which said pin engages, and the tang of theloop D has a button, is, which projects down through a slot in the flapand through the button-hole h. It is apparent that, the under plate Ehaving been rigidly secured to the flap, O, the backband and loop-tip Dwill be securely locked in place, and yet that these outer trimmings mayall be applied after the harness-makers work has all been finished. Asbefore stated, the ability to apply the exterior fittings after theworkman has completed the leather-work, is of great importance, becauseit permits a selection over a wide range of styles and methods offinish, and does not require the assembling of these external partsuntil the harness is being put up for the market.

It is frequently desirable to be able to lengthen or shorten theback-strap, or, in other words, back-straps of different lengths arerequired, and it is highly desirable that an unnecessary duplication ofparts shall be avoided by making one set of parts adjustable upon eachother, so as to serve either of several purposes. I thereforemiake theback-strap in two parts, as shown in Fig. 7. The upper end is detachedand provided with a transverselyribbed tang, m, and the strap B isconstructed with a transverse bar or bridge, at, having a rib on itsunder side. The part m is slipped under this rib, as shown in Fig. 8, asfar as may be required to produce the desired length,

and the bar it is then forcibly depressed by a blow from a hammer, andthe parts are all firmly locked together.

If thought advisable, as it will be for heavy harness and correspondingback-straps, such as shown in Fig. 9, a rib, 19, may be formed on theunder side of the tang m, near or at the end, to engage with transversegrooves in the under side of the strap B.

A second bridge, n, may be employed, or ears q may be substituted andbeaten over upon the part m, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 12 the under plate E is shown constructed partly of sheet metaland partly of cast metal, and the two united by the means abovedescribed.

In Fig. 11 the under plate is shown with the pin 2' located differentlyfrom that shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

It is frequently desirable that the back-strap shall be flexible orjointed, and such provision is shown in Fig. 10.

It is evident the joint 1' may be arranged at any point in the length ofthe back-strap,

' and that it may be constructed differently from the method shown,although that is a good way, especially in the position shown, when thejoint will be covered by the saddle-skirt.

Having described my improvement, what I claim as new is- 1. A metallicback-band provided at its lower end with a socket and a projecting stud,

0, combined with a separate loop-plate, D, adapted to rest in saidsocket and lock over said stud, the whole being secured in the mannerdescribed.

2. A metallic back-band having a socket, with stud e and finger g, and adetachable loopplate, D, adapted to engage with said pin and finger, andprovided with the headed stud 7:, combined with the under plate E,having a slot, h, to receive said stud, whereby the metallic back-bandand loop-plate are secured together and the back-band strap supportedWithout reference to the flap-leather.

3. A metallic back-band or back-band loopplate, constructed with atransverse bar or bridge, n, and transverse serrations, combined with aseparate plate or end, adapted to slip under said loop and be forced toengage with said serrations by the forcible depression of said bridge,as set forth, whereby the length of said back-band or plate may beadjusted as to length.

4.. A metallic back-band or metallic backband loop-pl ate, constructedwith a transverse bridge, n, having on its under side a rib and.transverse serrations, as described, combined with the separate plateor end, adapted to slip under said loop, and provided with transverseserrations and a transverse rib, 12, whereby the two parts may beimmovably locked together by the forcible depression of said loop, asset forth.

5. A metallic back-band or back-band loopplate, D, constructed .withtransverse serratious, bridge n, and side ears q, combined with aseparate plate or end adapted to slip under said bridge and be securedat two points by the depression of said bridge and ears, as set forth.

6. An under plate and stiffener, all cast in one piece, and providedwith the button-hole slot h at its lower end, adapted to receive andcombined with the headed stud k, as set forth.

7. An under plate and stiffener, all in one piece, provided with abutton-hole slot, h, at

its lower end, adapted to receive and combined with the headed stud 7c,and a stud or pin, 6,

at its upper end to engage with a correspond ing hole in the back-band,as set forth.

E. R. GAHOONE.

Witnesses:

R. D. 0. SMITH, J NO. D. PATTEN.

